Sad. Remember that people like this probably were decent people in their younger days, until they fell prey to mental illness. I've done consulting at a psych hospital, and it completely changed my view.

robohobo:Do any normal folk, aside from outdoor-working blue collars ever used portable toilets? Beside the homeless, I mean? Have you seen those things at festivals/fairs? Gross. I'd sooner find a tree.

I've not used a porta john since the first time I seen a video of someone tipping one.

robohobo:Do any normal folk, aside from outdoor-working blue collars ever used portable toilets? Beside the homeless, I mean? Have you seen those things at festivals/fairs? Gross. I'd sooner find a tree.

I saw a woman go into one at SXSW and immediately come back out dry heaving.

illannoyin:robohobo: Do any normal folk, aside from outdoor-working blue collars ever used portable toilets? Beside the homeless, I mean? Have you seen those things at festivals/fairs? Gross. I'd sooner find a tree.

I saw a woman go into one at SXSW and immediately come back out dry heaving.

Lulz. I saw a guy throwing up in one at Woodstock '94 He was too farked up to know he was kneeling in ca-ca.

robohobo:Do any normal folk, aside from outdoor-working blue collars ever used portable toilets? Beside the homeless, I mean? Have you seen those things at festivals/fairs? Gross. I'd sooner find a tree.

Around here the ones by construction sites are usually in nice condition and entirely suitable when the need strikes at 2AM.

Pointy Tail of Satan:Sad. Remember that people like this probably were decent people in their younger days, until they fell prey to mental illness. I've done consulting at a psych hospital, and it completely changed my view.

Yup. If everyone knew how fragile their everything is, then we would see a lot more compassion. Most of the homeless in my area are dealing with mental issues and families who can't deal. I'm working with a woman suffering from mood problems after she was rear-ended by a semi. Her life, her talents, her privilege, it is all slowly unravelling. If we all knew how close we are to the metaphorical porta-potty, we would conduct ourselves differently.

August11:Pointy Tail of Satan: Sad. Remember that people like this probably were decent people in their younger days, until they fell prey to mental illness. I've done consulting at a psych hospital, and it completely changed my view.

Yup. If everyone knew how fragile their everything is, then we would see a lot more compassion. Most of the homeless in my area are dealing with mental issues and families who can't deal. I'm working with a woman suffering from mood problems after she was rear-ended by a semi. Her life, her talents, her privilege, it is all slowly unravelling. If we all knew how close we are to the metaphorical porta-potty, we would conduct ourselves differently.

Pointy Tail of Satan:Sad. Remember that people like this probably were decent people in their younger days, until they fell prey to mental illness. I've done consulting at a psych hospital, and it completely changed my view.

Are you suggesting that people have value even if they're not rich?

You'll never get anywhere in America with ideas like that. If people can't survive on what trickles down from the powerful, they deserve to die like animals.

My buddy found what he thought was a dead homeless man. The guy had a his pants down around his ankles, porn spread out everywhere and a belt around his neck. He wouldnt wake up when my friend called out to him. When the cops arrived they knew who the homeless guy was and woke him up after a a few nudges with a nightstick. Turns out the guy just passed out while jerking off. He kept the belt around his neck attached to all his stuff while he was sleeping so in case anyone tried to rip him off they would pull on the belt and wake him up.

/csb//Raleighs homeless are quite a colorful lot, there is one who even lives in a bush like a Keebler elf

August11:Pointy Tail of Satan: Sad. Remember that people like this probably were decent people in their younger days, until they fell prey to mental illness. I've done consulting at a psych hospital, and it completely changed my view.

Yup. If everyone knew how fragile their everything is, then we would see a lot more compassion. Most of the homeless in my area are dealing with mental issues and families who can't deal. I'm working with a woman suffering from mood problems after she was rear-ended by a semi. Her life, her talents, her privilege, it is all slowly unravelling. If we all knew how close we are to the metaphorical porta-potty, we would conduct ourselves differently.

Unfortunately, that relationship is circular; people tend not to see how fragile other peoples' lives are until either they develop enough compassion and empathy to look for themselves, the same fate befalls them, or someone somehow forces them to look. The latter case is not guaranteed, because it requires some "starter empathy" in order to envision what the other person is actually going through and I know some very stubbornly solipsistic people.

Crabs_Can_Polevault:August11: Pointy Tail of Satan: Sad. Remember that people like this probably were decent people in their younger days, until they fell prey to mental illness. I've done consulting at a psych hospital, and it completely changed my view.

Yup. If everyone knew how fragile their everything is, then we would see a lot more compassion. Most of the homeless in my area are dealing with mental issues and families who can't deal. I'm working with a woman suffering from mood problems after she was rear-ended by a semi. Her life, her talents, her privilege, it is all slowly unravelling. If we all knew how close we are to the metaphorical porta-potty, we would conduct ourselves differently.

Unfortunately, that relationship is circular; people tend not to see how fragile other peoples' lives are until either they develop enough compassion and empathy to look for themselves, the same fate befalls them, or someone somehow forces them to look. The latter case is not guaranteed, because it requires some "starter empathy" in order to envision what the other person is actually going through and I know some very stubbornly solipsistic people.

I had to look that word up. ( there's always something new to learn on FARK)

/ no snark intended.// as for the article, mental illness does seem to be the root cause of much of the homelessness in my area/// many of these people are too far gone to even reach for the bootstraps, IMHO.//// thanks, President Reagan

I feel this is very sad. As a society, I feel we fail our fellow citizenry by ignoring their needs for help. When I am Benevolent Dictator, health care, including mental health, will be free. Paid for because I will force companies like Apple and Exxon to each pay a dollar or two in taxes. Nothing much, just a token dollar or two so they can contribute something, instead of the exactly zero they pay now.

(My brother, the Republican, thinks it's great when the homeless die or are belittled, because they deserve it for being mentally ill and poor. Yes he has kids. Fortunately they have Aunt Hippie to set them straight. My niece is well on her way to be coming a young liberal. "Why do they teach us to be nice to people in school and share things if it's not important? I think my dad is wrong." He is wrong, honey, we ARE supposed to be kind to others, even kids know that.)

I can't actually prove you, or anyone else, exists. You can show me "proof" but how do I know, with certainty, that isn't also a figment of my imagination just as you are?

While I think I exist, it is also possible that I am no more than a product of someone else's imagination. Even the concept of empathy may be nothing more than a mechanism like protected memory to insure that different processes don't inadvertently occupy the same neural space.

I can't actually prove you, or anyone else, exists. You can show me "proof" but how do I know, with certainty, that isn't also a figment of my imagination just as you are?

While I think I exist, it is also possible that I am no more than a product of someone else's imagination. Even the concept of empathy may be nothing more than a mechanism like protected memory to insure that different processes don't inadvertently occupy the same neural space.

Believe it or not, I'm going to stick with that word choice.

"So that homeless dude over there? Sure he's emaciated, unkempt, dirty, walks with a limp because of what looks like an open leg wound, wears torn clothing (including no shoes), and has no facial expressions but dull stupidity or perpetual scowl, but how do you know that's simply not how he wants to live? Why should anyone take the money I worked so hard for and use it to make that worthless sack of walking crap something he doesn't want to be? What makes him more entitled to my money than I am?"

I'm using it here to represent the flat-out refusal to sympathize with someone else, no matter how obvious their suffering may be, especially when any sort of sacrifice is sought. "Nobody else's problems are in any way significant. My problems are paramount. Why don't more people sympathize with me?", conveniently overlooking any differences in scale, even when the comparison is orders of magnitude off. And that the "me" in that example is most likely a raging, inflamed asshole.

cynicalminion:August11: Pointy Tail of Satan: Sad. Remember that people like this probably were decent people in their younger days, until they fell prey to mental illness. I've done consulting at a psych hospital, and it completely changed my view.

Yup. If everyone knew how fragile their everything is, then we would see a lot more compassion. Most of the homeless in my area are dealing with mental issues and families who can't deal. I'm working with a woman suffering from mood problems after she was rear-ended by a semi. Her life, her talents, her privilege, it is all slowly unravelling. If we all knew how close we are to the metaphorical porta-potty, we would conduct ourselves differently.

my world is a better place. thank you.

I'm taking this as snark. And I am glad, because you made me laugh and laugh. I love Fark.

Crabs_Can_Polevault:August11: Pointy Tail of Satan: Sad. Remember that people like this probably were decent people in their younger days, until they fell prey to mental illness. I've done consulting at a psych hospital, and it completely changed my view.

Yup. If everyone knew how fragile their everything is, then we would see a lot more compassion. Most of the homeless in my area are dealing with mental issues and families who can't deal. I'm working with a woman suffering from mood problems after she was rear-ended by a semi. Her life, her talents, her privilege, it is all slowly unravelling. If we all knew how close we are to the metaphorical porta-potty, we would conduct ourselves differently.

Unfortunately, that relationship is circular; people tend not to see how fragile other peoples' lives are until either they develop enough compassion and empathy to look for themselves, the same fate befalls them, or someone somehow forces them to look. The latter case is not guaranteed, because it requires some "starter empathy" in order to envision what the other person is actually going through and I know some very stubbornly solipsistic people.

I was thinking about this on my way to work. Where did my empathy come from? Those I know who have zero empathy--why is this the case? I don't know why, but I recalled a time when I was thirteen where I got stuck in a cave while snorkeling. I nearly drowned but broke free. I felt a singular, expansive, clarifying fear. True fear. Maybe that was my starter empathy, my early understanding of fragility. My father survived a few major battles in in WWII, was shot up pretty bad himself. Built a house and a family--the typical story. He always gave his pocket change to the homeless. He would say to them, "You do the same for me some day." I asked him about it once, that thing he said. He told me, "Don't kid yourself. I can think of any number of scenarios where we fall through the cracks in this life." No college. No philosophy. Maybe he just had experienced that fear or fragility.

Crabs_Can_Polevault:I'm using it here to represent the flat-out refusal to sympathize with someone else, no matter how obvious their suffering may be, especially when any sort of sacrifice is sought. "Nobody else's problems are in any way significant. My problems are paramount. Why don't more people sympathize with me?", conveniently overlooking any differences in scale, even when the comparison is orders of magnitude off. And that the "me" in that example is most likely a raging, inflamed asshole.

I think that is better encapsulated by narcissism rather than solipsism. At any rate, I was just having a little bit of fun and was not snarking on you.

I see your point, however. Hell, I used to be very much like the raging asshole in your example save for the requesting sympathy. What changed me was meeting a little 9 year old homeless girl who, despite her living conditions, was the sweetest, happiest human I have ever met. The experience metaphorically grabbed me by the ears and twisted my head around 180 degrees.

I think the best way to start combating how the general population in the US treats homeless people is to stop teaching people to be afraid of one another. There's the pervasive attitude of "OMG! That random guy over there is totally going to kill me and then rape my corpse if I even acknowledge his existence!" The state of homelessness seems to just exacerbate that fear to near hysteria and it's such an incredibly emotionally immature and stupid response.

If we're unafraid to talk to our fellow humans, we'll gather the courage to engage the problems they face in a way that has demonstrable results. Building on that, you also have to teach a new set of life skills to people who are at long last coming to grips with their mental illness, once they start successfully receiving treatment for it, otherwise they're just going to relapse in to old behaviors because that's all they know. It's the only tools they have that have proven able to sustain them, no matter how marginally.

I know it's easy to take about grand ideas to resolve problems, and I will be the first to admit that I have no idea how to build and implement a system that would see those results, but there are people who DO know and DO have the ability and they should be encouraged to do so with tax payer money.

But, no, instead we'll just keep funneling money in to lobbyists hands and corporate donors while we continue blowing up bronze age brown people in some dusty, useless shiathole out in the middle of nowhere while promising young men and women are physically, mentally and emotionally crippled, scarred and maimed if not outright killed.

Onkel Buck:My buddy found what he thought was a dead homeless man. The guy had a his pants down around his ankles, porn spread out everywhere and a belt around his neck. He wouldnt wake up when my friend called out to him. When the cops arrived they knew who the homeless guy was and woke him up after a a few nudges with a nightstick. Turns out the guy just passed out while jerking off. He kept the belt around his neck attached to all his stuff while he was sleeping so in case anyone tried to rip him off they would pull on the belt and wake him up.

/csb//Raleighs homeless are quite a colorful lot, there is one who even lives in a bush like a Keebler elf

Umm...you do realize that #1 that belt is not around his neck for security (as the stuff tied to a belt around his waist would do the same thing) and #2 that belt is almost assuredly the reason he passed out. Right?

Or maybe thatwasthejoke.jpg?

I did have a homeless guy ask me to call 911 for him on a really cold night. I said "for what?". He said "for a dead homeless guy in a bush!" He then belly-flopped into a shrub and remained still and refused to talk.

2KanZam:Onkel Buck: My buddy found what he thought was a dead homeless man. The guy had a his pants down around his ankles, porn spread out everywhere and a belt around his neck. He wouldnt wake up when my friend called out to him. When the cops arrived they knew who the homeless guy was and woke him up after a a few nudges with a nightstick. Turns out the guy just passed out while jerking off. He kept the belt around his neck attached to all his stuff while he was sleeping so in case anyone tried to rip him off they would pull on the belt and wake him up.

/csb//Raleighs homeless are quite a colorful lot, there is one who even lives in a bush like a Keebler elf

Umm...you do realize that #1 that belt is not around his neck for security (as the stuff tied to a belt around his waist would do the same thing) and #2 that belt is almost assuredly the reason he passed out. Right?

Or maybe thatwasthejoke.jpg?

I asked my buddy that about the belt too, because autoerotic asphyxiation was the first thing I thought of when he said he thought the guy was dead. He said the homeless guy was explaining his situation to the cops and he said it was for security. I agree with you though, it was probably a dual purpose sort of thing, or maybe triple purpose because Im sure he uses the belt to hold his pants up when he isn't cuffing his carrot.

August11:cynicalminion: August11: Pointy Tail of Satan: Sad. Remember that people like this probably were decent people in their younger days, until they fell prey to mental illness. I've done consulting at a psych hospital, and it completely changed my view.

Yup. If everyone knew how fragile their everything is, then we would see a lot more compassion. Most of the homeless in my area are dealing with mental issues and families who can't deal. I'm working with a woman suffering from mood problems after she was rear-ended by a semi. Her life, her talents, her privilege, it is all slowly unravelling. If we all knew how close we are to the metaphorical porta-potty, we would conduct ourselves differently.

my world is a better place. thank you.

I'm taking this as snark. And I am glad, because you made me laugh and laugh. I love Fark.

yes, i was being snarky, but there is something epically beautiful about the phrase "metaphorical porta-potty"